Regions are the key policy focus in respect of EU Structural Funds spending. Generally speaking, the regions of the EU's focus are based on the NUTS system (Nomenclature Units for Territorial Statistics), in other words, on statistical units. NUTS cannot therefore, by definition, be characterized by common historical, cultural or religious roots or as traditional administrative units.
It is up to the individual member-state to define the border of the various NUTS units. One important criterion here is that it should be possible to evaluate each NUTS unit in relation to its development level, and thus in relation to the need for EU-assistance.
The administrative structure in the EU-member states generally comprises two main regional levels, for example Länder and Kreise in Germany, régions and departments in France, Comunidades autonomas and provincias in Spain, and regioni and provincie in Italy.
Sweden traditionally has 21 län but is now 'piloting' the use of larger regions in Skåne, Västergötland, Gotland, and to some extent also in the Stockholm-region. In Finland, the 20
maakunta, introduced some years ago, now have a key role. The country also utilises the traditional and rather larger lääni, six in total. Denmark is reducing the role of her traditional amt (14 in total) and 271 kommuner will, from 2007, be administrated on the basis of five regioner and 98 kommuner.
NUTS are, by regulation, divided into three different levels according to the size of the population:
| Level |
Minimum |
Maximum |
| NUTS 1 |
3 million |
7 million |
| NUTS 2 |
800 000 |
3 million |
| NUTS 3 |
150 000 |
800 000 |
The län (county) in Sweden is an example of NUTS 3. Ile-de-France with 10.5 million inhabitants is the largest NUTS (1). The smallest NUTS (3) unit is Aosta, a French-speaking valley, in Italy. Aosta has 100 000 inhabitants.
Sources: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/eurostat/ramon/nuts
Ingmar Karlsson: Regionernas Europa, SNS Förlag, Stockholm 2006